This apricot tart is all that we love about fruit desserts: juicy caramelized apricots and raspberries between layers of almond cream encased in a sweet crust. The different components can be made in advance! So easy and so delicious!
Stone fruit season, especially apricots, is usually a short one.
So I have a few recipes that always get made, such as my favorite Plum Crumble Tart, Honey Fruit, and this amazing apricot raspberry tart. One of my favorites of all time!
The recipe is as french as they come and the result is amazing.
The sweet shortcrust pastry is thin and crisp, the layers of frangipane are sweet and creamy, and the apricots are juicy and acid at the same time to balance the rest. An absolute must-try!
What steps are needed to make this recipe?
Sweet shortcrust pastry: our pie crust recipe is wonderfully easy to make and can be made well in advance.
Frangipane: or almond cream, is a mixture of almonds, butter, sugar, and egg that comes together in 15 minutes. When used as a filling, it puffs as it bakes and holds the fruit together. Absolutely scrumptious.
Fruit: apricots and raspberries, because they are sweet but with enough acid to balance the sweet. I use fresh apricots and frozen raspberries, simply because I already had them. But use fresh berries if you have them!
The pie crust is blind-baked (pre-baked) and then filled with a layer of frangipane.
On top of that come the apricot slices and the space in between is filled with as many raspberries as necessary (image above).
- Apricots: I bake them with some sugar and butter before assembling the tart (image below). You can skip it, but I find that if the apricots are too firm or lack a flavor, this extra step works wonderfully. It takes no time and you can have them baked a few hours ahead. But you can totally add raw, sliced apricots directly to the tart too. Your call.
Assembling the apricot tart.
This recipe has fruit sandwiched between two layers of frangipane (almond cream).
Don't be tempted to make thick layers as they will overpower the flavor and acidity of the fruit.
Thin layers work best (image below).
About frangipane
Frangipane is also known as almond cream (image below) and is a necessary component of this recipe.
It comes together in 15 minutes and uses mostly pantry staples.
Find the super detailed and step-by-step photos in the post for frangipane.
About the sweet shortcrust pastry.
The homemade crust used in this recipe is my favorite one. I've been making it for years and it always delivers.
It has variations and there are a huge amount of recipes out there. Find my version in the post for Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, full of step-by-step images and detailed instructions.
Top tips
- Fruit: you can use fresh apricots or canned if you find good ones. Raspberries can be fresh or frozen. And don't discard using other stone fruit such as peaches or nectarines, plums, or cherries.
- Sweet shortcrust pastry: I use my favorite French recipe that always works. Feel free to use another sweet pie crust or even an all-butter store-bought one.
- Frangipane: this is the traditional way to go, but I have made a walnut cream version that is amazing. So innovate with another nut if you're in the mood.
- Make-ahead: the dough can be made ahead and frozen or kept in the fridge for a few days. The same goes for the lined pan; I usually have a tart pan in the freezer lined with sweet pie crust. It saves so much time when I want to bake! The almond cream can be made ahead and keeps well for a week in the fridge and can be frozen too.
- Keeping: this tart is best eaten the day it's made, but holds well for 2 days. You can leave it at room t° for a day, and then wrap it and keep it in the fridge. I don't like freezing it, as the apricots and raspberries turn mushy when defrosted.
Other recipes you might like:
Almond Plum Cake
Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Plum Crumble Tart
Pear Frangipane Tart
Honey Fruit with Cream
Raspberry Apple Crumb Bars
Fig Jam Tart
Coconut Lemon Tart
Apricot Frangipane Tart
- Prep Time: 90
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Pies & Tarts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
This apricot tart is all that we love about fruit desserts: juicy caramelized apricots and raspberries between layers of almond cream encased in a sweet crust.
And all the different components in this recipe can be made in advance! So easy and sooo delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- 1/3 recipe for Frangipane
- 6-7 apricots, cored and sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/3 cup of sliced almonds
Instructions
For the apricots:
- Preheat oven to 35°F /180°C.
- Put slices of apricots in a cookie or oven sheet, sprinkle with the sugar and dot with the butter.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until soft, remove from oven and reserve. At this point you can keep them in a bowl, covered, in the refrigerator for a few hours before assembling the tart.
- Keep the oven on.
To assemble the tart:
- Follow instructions for the sweet Shortcrust Pastry and blind bake a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
- Spread a thin layer of frangine in the bottom of the pre-baked crust and arrange apricot slices on top.
- Fill gaps with the raspberries, distributing as evenly as possible.
- Cover the fruit with another thin layer of frangipane, about 1/2 cup. Put small tablespoons of cream all over the surface and, carefully, spread them to cover. It will be uneven and maybe not cover it completely.
- Bake for 20 minutes and scatter sliced almonds on top (I do it mid-baking so they don't end up burning).
- Bake for 10 more minutes, until golden and bubbly.
- Let cool to room t° on a wire rack before eating.
Notes
- Fruit: you can use fresh apricots or canned if you find good ones. Raspberries can be fresh or frozen. And don't discard using other stone fruit such as peaches or nectarines, plums or cherries.
- Sweet shortcrust pastry: I use my favorite French recipe that always works. Feel free to use another sweet pie crust or even an all-butter store-bought one.
- Frangipane: the recipe makes for more than you need here. What's left can be frozen. With almonds is the traditional way to go, but I have made a walnut cream version that is amazing. So innovate with another nut if you're in the mood.
- Make-ahead: the dough can be made ahead and frozen or kept in the fridge for a few days. The same goes for the lined pan; I usually have a tart pan in the freezer lined with sweet pie crust. It saves so much time when I want to bake! The almond cream can be made ahead and keeps well for a week in the fridge and can be frozen too.
- Keeping: this tart is best eaten the day it's made, but holds well for 2 days. You can leave it at room t° for a day, and then wrap it and keep it in the fridge. I don't like freezing it, as the apricots and raspberries turn mushy when defrosted.
Keywords: apricot tart
This is a beautiful and delicious dessert. It was a hit with my husband and my 4 college age sons! The crust was yummy even though I was short on time and the dough was not cold enough to roll properly. (I mostly pressed it into the tart pan.) The flavor combo of apricots, raspberries and almonds was lovely! I used canned apricots as fresh were not available. I think it would be even better with peaches or cherries. Thank you for your yummy recipe!
★★★★★
Good to know you all liked it Bella! I've yet to try it with other fruit, but almond cream is great with most of them. Have a good weekend!
Thanks for sharing! Can it be frozen to last longer?
You can freeze the unbaked pie crust already in the pan, and you can freeze the frangipane. I never froze it after baked, but it can be done. The thing is that the fruit will be more watery after it's defrosted and that might make the crust soggy. You might try to bake it for a few minutes to crisp it up.
This looks so good! Does it work with other kinds of fruit too?
It works great with peaches and pears.
Made this tonight in a bit of a hurry and it was AMAZING - just delicious.
Did lots of things not quite right (pastry not chilled enough to roll out easily, overcooked the apricots, raspberries very watery from being in the freezer a few years too many, not enough butter so had to use marg in the pastry) and yet it was top notch. Can’t wait to make it again and give it the time and care it deserves (will be a great dinner party pudding once lockdown is over.....)
Thank you !
★★★★★
Thanks for the comment Penny! Pie crusts are usually temperamental, lol! so I'm glad this turned out well in spite of the details you mention. Hope the second one is even better. Have a great week!
Paula, I ate dinner at the home of good friends last Sunday night. They have an apricot tree and their cots are ready to be picked. I can have all I want so I am scheduled to "pick" on Friday. Another friend has a backyard of raspberries and I have been asked to pick them often which I am doing. This is a perfect recipe to bake this weekend. Just perfect.
I think it's perfect that you have friends that provide you with apricots and raspberries haha! Let me know if you make it Mary. Have a great week!
Definitely one of my top favourites!
This is a yummy recipe. I found your post on sweet shortcrust pastry very helpful. Thanks
★★★★★
I'm loving this recipe for two reasons: (1) that fantastic shortcrust pastry and (2) that delicious looking peach filling! Thanks for sharing, Paula!
Thank you Jeannette!
Talk about recipe perfection! This tart hits all of the right notes. Love the delicious summer flavors and how easy it was to make. Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Thanks Angela!
Looks beautiful and it would be so easy to make with your detailed instructions! I love the combination of sweet and juicy raspberries, apricots and almonds. Great job, I will pin it to make later!
★★★★★
Glad you liked it Alina!
I love frangipane tart and it marries super well with apricot. Looks like the layers are super well balanced too. Mouth watering over here!
★★★★★